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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California

29 Ranked Colleges
4,047 Degrees Awarded
$26,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Mechanical Engineering is the 20th most popular major in the country with 47,598 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, mechanical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $64,495 and had an average of $23,104 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,259 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $66,612 and $20,850 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,047 mechanical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great mechanical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the mechanical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The me school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in California

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 231 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Mechanical Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 144 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Los Angeles

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 86 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Fresno

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 193 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Long Beach

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 225 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 308 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Northridge landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 226 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Mechanical Engineering Report

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 306 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full SDSU Mechanical Engineering Report

California State University Maritime Academy came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Cal Maritime is a public institution located in Vallejo, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k list, Cal Maritime has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Maritime is $20,597 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at California State University Maritime Academy

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 204 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k list, Sac State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at Sac State

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 193 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State

#12

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 137 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #6 spot in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Mechanical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s ME degrees to qualified students.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California State University - Chico

#14

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley

University of California - San Diego ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 179 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k list, UCSD has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of California - San Diego

#16

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #16, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at San Francisco State University

University of California - Davis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 176 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UC Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 263 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Irvine Mechanical Engineering Report

#19

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 145 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UCR.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at UCR

#20

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 88 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ME students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at UCSB

#21

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Stanford University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Stanford

University of California - Merced landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UC Merced.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at University of California - Merced

#23

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

With a ranking of #23, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ME degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $24,274 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Caltech Mechanical Engineering Report

#24

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California Baptist University is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 35 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $24,707 for California Bachelor’s Degree ME students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California Baptist University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Mechanical Engineering at California Baptist University

#25

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue ME Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s ME degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k list, Pacific has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree me students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Pacific.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at University of the Pacific

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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